Blue flame wick burners for liquid fuel



Feb. 3, 1959 S. SIRKIN ET AL BLUE FLAME WICK BURNER-S FOR LIQUID FUEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed. June 28, 1955 FIG].

s SIRKIN ET AL 2,871,687

BLUE FLAME WICK BURNERS FOR LIQUID FUEL Feb. 3, 1959 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1955 rates 1 BLUE FLAME WICK BURNERS FOR LIQUID FUEL Senia Sirkin, London, and George William Randle, Birmingham, England, assignors to Parkinson and Cowau Limited, London, England, a British company This invention relates to wick burners for liquid fuel usually known as blue flame wick burners, of the type having a tubular wick slidable on an inner wick tube and surrounded by a wick carrier band having formed integrally with or mounted on it a rack for engagement with a pinion on a winder spindle having a bearing fixed with respect to the burner body. l

- The winder spindle projects beyond an outer wick tube which surrounds the wick and a perforated gallery which surrounds the outerwick tube to a control knob. A burner of this type is intended by reference hereinafter to the type defined.

To engage the wick the pinion is frequently arranged to project through an opening in an outer wick tube. The clearance between the pinion and the opening can allow fuel vapour to escape and under certain conditions a flame flash back can occur. This is known to occur only very occasionally but even this slight risk is obviously undesirable.

According to the present invention the end of a tube sealed into an opening through the outer wick tube and extending radially outwards through the surrounding gallery has a bore slightly larger than the outside diameter of the pinion which is mounted on a winder spindle rotatable in a bush or sleeve which is a sliding fit in the bore of the tube.

The outer end of the Winder spindle projects from the bearing and is provided with a control knob. The pinion and winder spindle, the bush or sleeve and the control knob are assembled together outside the burner and inserted pinion end first in the short tube and retained by a set screw or other suitable means. The pinion projects through the outer wick tube to engage a rack anchored to the wick carrier band.

The rack may be of box section with internal slotted or other teeth and a longitudinal slot, the edge of which is arranged to bear on the winder spindle to keep the pinion, which is within the box section, in engagement with the slotted teeth,

It is preferred however to employ a rack of substantially rectangular cross-section with milled teeth of correct form. The rack is anchored by brazing or other means to the wick carrier band and may be held in engagement with the pinion by a bracket extending inwards from the outer wick tube and bearing against the back of the rack. The bracket is preferably provided with a tongue which slidably engages a longitudinal groove in the back of the rack. The tongue is elongated in the direction of movement of the rack and forms a guide assisting to check rocking of the wick carrier band on the inner wick tube which if allowed results in an uneven flame.

Since the winder pinion passes through the outer wick tube by means of the short radial tube which is sealed into the outer wick tube and is filled by the winder spindle and bearing bush or sleeve, leakage of fuel vapour cannot occur at this point so that the risk of flame flash-back due to this cause'as referred to above is removed. This atent construction is also most convenient for manufacture and subsequent cleaning and servicing because of the ease with which the winder assembly can be removed and replaced. It is especially advantageous with burners of the side air inlet type that is in which air is admitted to the bore of the inner wick tube through radial conduits, usually two extending outwards through the outer wick tube to draw air from the space between the outer wick tube and the gallery. In this type of burner the wickis divided to pass on each side of the tunnel and the wick carrier band is necessarily restricted in length by the presence of the radial tunnels.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a burner and the lower part of a drum or chimney partly in section.

Figure 2 is a plan view of part of Figure 1 and partly in section.

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional elevations on line 33 and 44 respectively of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an underside perspective view of the lower end of the burner.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a bayonet catch engagement between the burner and a fuel container to which the burner is fitted.

Figures 7 and 8 are sections on lines 7-7 and 8-8 of Figure 6 showing the bayonet catch in the free and engaged positions respectively.

The burner illustrated comprises a perforated gallery 10 having a base 11 which has a spigot portion 12 to engage an opening 35 in a fuel container 13 (Figures 7 and 8). An outer wick tube 14 concentric with the gallery is brazed or otherwise secured in the recess formed inside the gallery'base by the spigot. An inner wick tube 15 concentric with the outer wick tube is similarly secured to radial locating lugs in an opening through the spigot end face. The bottom of the inner wick tube is closed apart from a small central breather hole. A tubular wick'16 slides telescopically on the outside of the inner wick tube and is divided on longitudinal lines at its lower end to pass on each side of diametrally opposed conduits 17 and into the fuel container through arcuate openings 18 in the spigot end face defined between the locating lugs for the inner wick tube 15, the inner wick tube and the remaining portion of thespigot end face. The conduits 17 are of substantial depth and extend radially through the inner and outer wick tubes for the admission of air from the perforated gallery 10 to the inside of the inner wick tube 15.

A wick carrier band 19 surrounds the wick and has inturned teeth to enter the fabric and grip the wick. Like the wick the carrier band is also divided to pass on each side of the radial conduits 17 and has therefore only a narrow continuous band at its upper end.

To the carrier band 19 is secured a rack bar 20 which.

has rack teeth 21 formed on a front face substantially radial to the carrier band.

The rack is engaged by a pinion 22 mounted or formed on one end of a spindle 23. A tube 24 having a bore large enough to allow the pinion 22 to pass through is brazed or otherwise secured and sealed into an opening in the outer wick tube 14 and passes radially through an opening in the gallery 10. The spindle 23 is rotatable in a sleeve or bush 25 of about the same length as the tube 24 and a sliding fit in it. A knob 26 is fitted to the outer end of the spindle 22 for rotating the pinion. The sleeve or bush 25 is retained in the tube 24 by a set screw 27 engaging a screw-threaded hole in the tube 24 and entering a circumferential groove 28 in the sleeve or bush 25.

Since the tube 24 is sealed into the outer wick tube 14 and the bearings of the spindle and the sleeve or Patented Feb. 3, 1959' #4.) bush are long there is no opening for the escape of vapour and this cause of possible occasional flash-back is obviated.

In the back of the rack bar, that is to say on the face opposite the rack teeth, is a longitudinal groove 29 extending the whole. length of the bar. This is engaged over a substantial length by a tongue 3!} which is part of a bracket 31 secured, inside the outer wick tube 14.

The tongue is formed by a flange defining one side of an open channel the other side of which extends as an attachment portion 32 having a curved surface to suit the inner surface of the outer wick tube 14. An opening for the end of the tube 24 is provided in the attachment portion to locate it accurately. The inner end of the tube 24 is shouldered, and reduced in wall thickness to be spun or otherwise turned outwardly against the face of the attachment portion which is further secured to the outerwick tube by rivets 33 or by spot welding. The long engagement of the tongue and groove 29 not only holds the rack firmly and correctly in engagement with the pinion butalso assists in guidingthe, wick carrier band to prevent tilting and consequent uneven flame which may otherwise occur with burners of this type with conduits for side air entry which restrict the possible length of bearing of the wick carrier band on the wick surrounding the inner wick tube.

Angularly spaced headed studs 34- on the container 13 around the opening 35 engage in arcuate keyhole slots 36 in the bottom of the gallery 10 (Figures 6, 7 and 8). The parts of the gallery in which the slots are formed are inclined at a small angle to the plane ofthe bottom of the gallery so that as the gallery is turned in the engaging direction a rubber or other sealing ring 37 is compressed against the top of the container to make a liquid-tight joint (Figure 8). The studs 34 and their complementary slots 36 are spaced at non-uniform angu lar spacings in order that the burner can only be assembled on the tank in the correct position.

The gallery 10 is surmounted by a cylindrical drum or chimney 38 with a cone 39 formed as a part of the chimney assembly. The drum or chimney 38 is made an easy fit in a shoulder 40 in the mouth of the gallery 10.

We claim:

l. A wick burner for liquid fuel comprising in combination a rigid inner wick tube, a rigid outer wick tube coaxial with, and surrounding and spaced from the inner wick tube, a tubular wick slidable on the inner wick tube between the inner and outer wick tubes, a wick carrier band surrounding and adapted to grip the wick, a chimney, a perforate gallery surroundnig the outer wick tube, and adapted to support said chimney and defining a tubular space for leading into said chimney secondary air admitted through said perforate gallery, a radialtube sealed into an opening in the outer wick tube and extending radially outwards through the surrounding gallery, a bush which has a sliding fit in the bore of the radial tube, means for anchoring the bush in the radial. tube, a spindle rotatable in the bush, a pinion rigid with the inner end of the bush having a tip diameter less than the bore diameter of the radial tube, means on the outer end of the spindle for manually rotating said spindle, a rack rigid with the wick carrier band and engagnig the p nion, and a bracket attached to the outer wick tube and engaging the rack and adapted to guide the rack and maintain the rack in contact with the pinion, said rack having a longitudinal groove in the side of the rack opposite the teeth and said bracket having an elongated tongue which slidably engages said longitudinal groove.

2. A wick burner according to claim 1 wherein the bracket has an attachment portion of arcuate form to fit against the inner surface of the outer wick tube and having an opening for the pinion to pass through and wherein at one edge of the attachment portion the bracket is channel shaped with a flange bounding the ing the tongue for engagement with the slot inthe rack.

3. A wick burner for liquid fuel comprising in combination a rigid inner wick tube closed at the lower end, a rigid outer wick tube coaxial with, surrounding and spaced from the inner wick tube, a plurality of air-admission conduits extending radially through said inner and outer wick tubes, a tubular wick slidable on the inner wick tube between the inner and outer wick tubes, a wick carrier band surrounding and adapted to grip the wick and having a portion reduced in depth corresponding to each of said conduits, a chimney, a perforate gallery surrounding the outer wick tube and adapted to support said chimney and defining a tubular space for leading into said chimney secondary air admitted through said perforate gallery, acradial tube sealed into an opening in the outer wick tube and extending radially outwards through the surrounding gallery, a bush which has a'slidingvfit in the bore, of the radial tube, means for anchoring the bush in theradial tube, a spindle rotatable in the bush, a pinion rigidrwith the inner end of the bush having a tip diameter less than the bore diameter. of the radial tube, means on the outer end of the spindle for manually rotating said spindle, a rack rigid with the wick carrier band and engaging the pinion and having a longitudinal groove in the side of the rack 0pposite the teeth, a bracket attachedto the outer wick tube and having a tongue having a considerable length, in sliding engagement with said groove.

4. A wick burner adapted to be mounted on the top of a fuel tank of non-circular plan shape having an opening therein surrounded by angularly spaced headed studs disposed in pre-determined angular relationship to said plan shape comprising incomhination a rigid inner wick tube, a rigid outer wick tube coaxial with, and surrounding and spaced from, the inner wick tube, a tubular wick slidable on the inner wick tube between the inner and outer wick tubes and extending beyond the lower ends thereof, a wick carried band surrounding and adapted to grip the wick, a perforate gallery surrounding the outer wick tube, and having a base to which the lower ends of said inner and outer wick tubes are ecured, a radial tube sealed into an opening in the outer wick tube and extending radially outwards through the surrounding gallery, a bush which has a slidingflt in the bore of the radial tube, means for anchoring the bush in the radial tube, a spindle rotatable in the bush, a pinion rigid with the inner end of the bush having a tip diameter less the bore diameter of the radial tube, means on the outer end of the spindle for manually rotating said spindle, and a rack rigid with the wick carrier band and engaging the pinion, the base of the gallery being formed with a spigot adapted to enter the opening in said tank and arcuate keyhole slots adapted to engage said angularly spaced headed studs on said container and disposed in pre-determined angular relationship with respect to said spindle.

5. A wick burner according to claim 4 wherein the portions of the base of the gallery immediately bordering the arcuate slots are slightly inclined with respect to the main plane of the base, and are adapted to compress a resilient sealing member interposed between said base and said tank.

6. A wick burner according to claim 4 wherein the keyhole slots are located at non-uniform angular spacings so as to be adapted to the fitted on similarly spaced studs on the fuel container in only the correct angular position.

7. in a side-draft burner of the blue flame type and including inner and outer wick tubes, a surrounding coaxial perforate gallery rigid with said outer wick tube and a plurality of tubular radial ducts interconnecting said inner and outer wick tubes, a wick-raising mechanism comprising a wick carrier band, a toothed rack rigid with the wick carrier hand and having a longitudinal groove in the side of the rack opposite the teeth, a bracket of generally open-channel form having spaced substantially parallel flanges, one flange being of considerable length and engaging said groove, the other flange having a curved surface complementary to the inner surface of the outer wick tube, a radial tube having at one end a tubular spigot portion projecting through aligned openings in said outer wick tube and said curved flange surface and sealed and secured therein, the radial tube extending radially outwards through the surrounding gallery, a bush which has a sliding fit in the bore of the radial tube, means for anchoring the bush in the radial tube, a spindle rotatable in the bush, a pinion rigid with the inner end of the bush having a tip diameter less than the bore diameter of the radial tube and engaging said rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Homan Nov. 22, 1927 Davies Dec. 6, 1870 Davies Aug. 18, 1874 Engh May 2, 1933 Kovac Oct. 4, 1938 Bramming Apr. 5, 1955 

